Lasting machine



April 1,1924.

E. BROTHERS LASTING MACHINE original Filed Jan. 23. 11317 2 sheets-sheet. l1

Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

I vUNITED STATES ELI BROTHERS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0

UNITED SHOE IIIACHINERY CORPORAT PoRATIoN on NEW'JERSEY.

i LAs'rING Application led January 23, 1917, Serial [o aZZi/Jmnz't may concern.' f

Be it known that I, ELI BROTHERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have, inventedV certain Improvements in Last-ing Machines, ofwhich t-he following description, in connection With the with power-driven mechanism for effecting relative movements of the differentparts to pull the upper: and to Work it into lasted,l position round the end of the shoe.V 'The construction shown comprises co operating jaws which are curved to gripV the upper on a substantially continuous line round the en d of the shoe, and which serve in the1 l 4 stretching act-ion upon the `surface inishof course of the power-effected cycle of operations of the machine to Work the upper into lasted position overv the feather 4of the ,sole

or insole. In the illustrative machine, moveover, thel shoe positioning and upper gripping 4means and. the poWeroperating mechanism' are so constructed andarranged that the shoe is presented with thetop of the forepai't in full vieuT of theoperator iny his-normal working position, thus enabling the operator to observe carefully the-parts of the upper directly affected by the stretching action of the gripping and lasting de-l vices Without assuming any unnatural or" strained position, and another fcaturecon- I organization thus pro-.

sistsr in the novel Ilurther features ofthe invention areto her recognized in ynovel means for imparting. operative movements lengthwise and laterallyv of a shoe to upper gripping and lasting jaws, novel mechanismv affording provision for vpreliminary adjustment of lasting menihers relatively to a shoe, a novelv arrangement whereby different shoes may be prej 10N, on PATEnsoiv, ivnwcrnasnv, A *oo-u- MACHINE. v

No. 144,044. Renewed December 2e. 1922.

sented properly for lasting, and in various,v detail-s of construction and combinations of parts, Which will now be describedwvith reference to the :accompanying drawingsand pointed out in the claims. In the drawings:` i g 1 Figure l is a sidej elevation of a machine in which the invention is embodied. Fig. 2 is a plan vieW. r 'F ig. 3 is ak horizontal sectonon .the line of 1. I f 'Figs 4, 5 and 6 shon7 successive steps: ,in

lasting devices. i j Y l Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view indicating the approximate relation of the several cam paths to one another.

the relative movement of the last andthe The machine shown is arranged to be adjustably mounted :on apost With the shoe and the lasting devices at such an elevation that. the operator, standing in front of the machine, shall look downwardly and forwardly over the shoe from the heel end to Ward the toe at such an angley that hey can Watch the Work on the ltoe .of the shoe.` and be aware at all times ofthe efect being produced by the lasting devices upon the upper as to smoothness of fitting' over the toe portion` ofthe last ,and as to theresult of lthe the leather.

The head 2 olflthe machine bis `a holle-iv casting from one lateral endof which prof jects a boss in which is a, bearing for a driving pulley 4. Tliisgpulley is connected Vby a frictionclutch and speedreducing gears to required relativeymovements .ofthe lasting.

devices and the last.

.The lastingdevices 'comprise' essentially the upper and loiver -javvs 10,12 the-frontv edge'faces ofovhich. are contoured to emping faces at said front edges. lEach of the jaW-s 10 and 12 is mounted to'have move-` Ways formed'in a raised boss leon a slide movable forwardly and backwardly in brace the toe port-ionof a shoe, said.jaW'sy A having on their opposed sides .serrated grip- "explainefh upon the post 30 the stem ofv guideways in the machine head through connections with a cam roll standing in cam path c. These jaws are moved along said arc-shaped guideways by connections through links 16 between the foremost studs 25 and the operating head 18 ofa plunger 20 carrying a cam roll standing 1n the .cam path 7). rlhe connections between the .links 16 and the head 18 are made readily adjustable by spring locking bolts 22 and eccentric slots 23 in the head that enable the operator to fit the jaws V1() tothe last over which a l I plane of closing movement of the jaws 10.

shoe is to be made.4

The lower jaws 12\have dependingfianged portions which are mounted in arc-shaped guideways 26 in a slide 27 for movement 1n paths similar to the paths of the jaws 10, the slide 27 being movable lengthwise of the shoe on the top of a vertically movable post 30. The studs 25 are extended downwardly and form pivotal connection with the jaws 12 whereby said jaws 12 are advanced and retracted in their 'guideways 26 simultaneously,` and are moved bodily lengthwise of the shoe with the jaws 10.

The jaws 10v are vertically stationary. The jaws 12 are movable toward the jaws 10 for lgripping the margin of the toe por tionof Ythe shoe upper and away therefrom for releasing the upper. This movement 1s obtained by mounting the jaws 12. as above which is guided inl abraclet and which is connected to a rocking lever receiving motionthrough` a link 36 'from a cam roll standing` .in the cam path al. The Ylever is mounted on a fulcrum stud'carried in a fulcrum block Ll() which is mounted in the head 2 for adjustment lengthwise of the lever by means of a screw rod 42. This adjustable fulcruming of the lever 35 providesV for accurately adapting the jaw Yclosing movement to thc heavy or light uppers to` be operated upon.

lThe shoe is carried vby a support that comprises a toe rest `aball rest 52 and a hee-l face abutment54 the shoe engaging face of which is curved in an arc around a center located substantially at the toe of the last.v The rests 50 and 52 areeach mounted to tip in the carrying portions Yof the support so that they may adjust themselves automatically tothe spring or longitudinal inclination of the sole face of the shoe and thereby obtain'firm bearings upon the shoe. The. heel abutment54` is adjustable length? wise of the support by a screw and hand crank 55 forV adaptation to different lengths of lasts. n The head of the 'shoe support. upon' which the rests and the heel abutment are carried, is adjustable Vin an arc-shaped gnideway 56 on the head of the post 58,'t-he adjustn'ient being about a center located substantially vat the toe of thevlast. rThis ad-V just-mentis effected by a rack 59 and seg*- ment 60 capable of operation by a hand lecally tothe jaws 10, 12 and also adjustment to present the plane of the toe por tion of the shoe bottom parallel with the The shoe supporting post 58 is vertically' guided in a bracket projecting from the machine frame and is vertically adjustable with relation to the front end of a `bell crank lever the upper arm of which is provided with a cam 'roll through which movements are derived from the cam a. This vertical adjustment maybe etl'ected through rotation of a h and wheel 581 having a threaded hub engaging the post 58 the wheel and hub being held against. vertical movement by an attached depending finger 582 having a lateral flange extending under an annular ribl formedon a boss588 on the upper end of the sleeve G51 which is connected to the end of bell crank lever 65" (see 1).

The machine is so constructed, arranged a nd organized i that the. following operation thereof may be obtained: Aslioe comprising a last to which an innersole has been secured and upon which an upper has been assembledis positioned upon the rests 50, 52l with the toe endv of-the last abutted against the front edge face of the lower jaws 12 as shownVt by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The toe is centered in the machine by the curvature of the jaws 12, and the operator will position the heel end of the shoe laterally7 according'as it is a. right or a left last. to presentthe forepart of the last symmetrically to the jaws. The heel abutment" may then be adjusted "for the 'length 'of shoe to be operated upon. With the work thus` presented the marginal portion of the upper, if allowedV to flare outwardly inthe]V normal position which it assumes when assembled on the last, will exten-d between the toothed gripping faces of the upper jandlV lower jaws 10 and 12 as indicated in Fig.` 1. If the clutch now be closed to causethe f driving pulley 4c to turn the cam shaft,rthe following movements will'occur in substantially the sequence recited. '5 The lower jaws 12 will be elevated by motion transmitted face of the shoe bottom in a plane slightly above the plane of the top face of thel jaws the Awrapping of the tensioned upper around the edge of the shoe bottomjvhile the ten- Asion is being maintained or increased so that no opportunity is afforded for wrinkles to form in the upper. As the jaws 1() pass under the edge of the shoe bottom toward the position shown in Fig. 5, the shoe support may descend a triiie to permit the upper to be pressed against the lower face of the. feather of the shoe insole. In the nal position of the jaws, as shown in Fig. 5, the upper is pressed firmly into the angle betweenv the feather and the rib of the insole with a portion upstanding from the plane of the shoe bottom as a sole attaching flange held against the insole rib by the inner flange-forming edge face of the upper jaws 10.

The machine may be allowed or caused to come to rest with the parts and the work in the condition just described, affording opportunity for the workman to apply a toe binder around the toe for securing the upper in lasted position. Alternatively this machine may be employed in the manufacture of shoes which include toe stifteners of the type which are pliable and adhesive when heated and which. when allowed to cool, become stiff and more or less resilient. Such toe stiffening material when incorporated in a shoe responds to the shaping operation incident to the toe lasting and adheres tirmlylo the upper and lining materials of the shoe. Then it cools it rements the upper andv lining together and stilfens to maintain the upper in its stretched and formed condition around the toe of the last and upon the feather of the innersole in position 'for sewing. The stiiiening of this material requires, according to its composilion, one or two minutes more or less and l contemplate that by emplojing two lasting machines-'for a workman one of which may be adjusted for rights and the other for lefts, ashoe allowed to set with the parts in the position indicated in while another shoe is being lasted inthe companion machine will be so permanently set in its lasted position that no toe fastr-nings will bve required.

lVhen the machine is restarted the lower jaws 12 will descend and the other parts will return to their starting positions, thereby freeing the shoe and allowing the operator to lift it from the shoe support. The p0rtion of the upper materials that was located between the gripping faces of the jaws may now vbe trimmed off and thereby leave the shoe in desirable condition for the welt sewing on operation.

Having explained the nature of this invention and described a preferred construction embodying the same, I claim as new and-desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of co-operating pairs of jaws shapedand arranged to embrace the toe por-v tion of a shoe; a shoe support; and power driven mechanism connected with said jaws and said support for operating the same in time relation to grip the margin of the upper on a substantially continuous line extending around the toe from one side thereof to the other; relatively to move the jaws and the shoe support substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the shoe bottom to effect stretching of the upper over the toe of the last, and then to close the jaws inward and relatively to move the aws and the last to cause the upper tobe wrapped around the edge of the last bottom and formed upon the tread face of the inner-sole inside the edge of the last bottom in position to be fastened upon the tread face of the innersole.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination vwith pairs of toe embracing jaws mounted for relative approaching and receding movements in curved paths, of an operating plunger having a head, and links connected at: one end to said jaws and at the other end having connections with said head which permit the links to be adjusted on the Vhead to vary the startingpositions of the 3. A machine of the class described having. in combination, upper and lower toe embracing jaws and shoe supporting means relatively arranged to permit the shoe to be positioned with its toe end against the front edge of the lower jaws and to be centered relatively to the jaws by engagement with the lower jaws, and means for relatively operating the jaws and the shoe support to ei'i'ect gripping and pulling of the upper.

'-1. In a machine of lthe class described, the combination with curved toe embracing members adapted to detern'iine the lateraly position of a shoe toe; 'of shoe supporting means comprising a toe rest, a ball rest, and a heel end 'face abutment the work engaging face of which is curved about a center located in the forepart of the. last; and means for relatively operating said members and the shoe support for lasting the toe of the shoe.

' 5. )i machine of the class described having, in combination, toe embracing members, a forepart support'comprising toe and ball restsI` and means for adjusting said rests about an axis extending transversely of the last and located near the toe end of the trea l il ce of the last.

6. A. machine of the class described having, in combination, upper and lower pairs of toe embracing jaws, means for relatively moving the jaws substantially perpendicularly to the plane ofthe last bottom to grip the upper, are-sliaped guideways in which said jaws are mounted, slides in which the guideways are formed, and means for movsaid upper and loii'erjaws together in the guideways and for moving the-slide to eiiqect closing and advancing of the jaws to carry the upper over the tread face of the shoe bottoni after the upper has been pulled.

7. A machine of tlievelass described having, in combination, a last and shoe support,

Y co-opei'ating jaws curved-to embrace an end of a shoe and arranged to grip the margin of the upper between them on a. substantially7 continuous line round the end of the shoe, said jaws being mounted for inward movement over the shoel constructed to work the upper into lasted position on the feather of the sole or insole, connections between the opposed gripping jaws movable.v with said jaws and constraining them Vto move` inwardly in unison laterally of the shoe, a power shaft, and operating mechanism driven by said power shaft for effecting relative movement of said support and'jaws etch the upper and-for moving the jaws inwardly .together to Awork the upper into lasted position.

S. A. machine of the class described having, lin combination, a last and shoe support constructed and arranged to position a. shoeI i bottom downward with'the Vtopk of theforepart in full. view of the operator in his iwirmal working position, co-operating jaws curved to embrace van end of the shoe and arranged to grip the margin of the upper between them, said jaws being mounted for inward movement over the shoe and constructed to work the upper into lasted position on the feather of the sole or insole, a

j power shaft, mechanism driven by said shaft.Y for effecting relative movement of said support and jaws to stretch the upper, and conner-,tions between said shaft and jaws for iiioriiioj the jaws inwardly to work the upper into l: .ted position.

S). A machine of the class described having` in combination, a last and shoe support constructed and arranged to posit-'ion ashoe with the Jlop of the forepart in full view of the operator in his normal working position, co-operating jaws curved to embrace an end of the shoe and arranged to grip the marginA of the upper between them on a substantially Ycontinuous line round the end o-f the shoe,`

said jaws being mounted for inward movement over the shoe and constructed towork the upper into lasted position on the feather of the sole or insole, a power shaft, and connections between said shaft and the shoe support and gripping jaws for closing the jaws on the upper, for moving the shoe relatively to the jaws to stretch the upper, and

for moving the jaws inwardly to work the upper into laste-d position. i

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a last and shoe support, two pairs of curved end-embracing ljaws relatively movable substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the bottonr otv a S1113- ported last to grip between them the edge of the upper at one end of a shoe on the last and arranged for preliminary angular adj ustment substantially to conform to the/contoiir of said end of the last, said jaws present-ing a flange forming inner edge surface to the upper, and power operated means fo-r effecting relative movement Vof--said support v and gripping jaws to form the upper tothe end of the last and over the edge of the sole;

meut substantially perpendicularly to theV plane of the bottom of said form to Vgrip between them the edge ofone end'of a` shoeY upper on said form, and power operatedl means for effecting relative movement ofv said shoeV forni and said gripping jaws toY y shape the shoe upper to one end of said form and over the edge of the bottom of said form. Y i

12. A machine of the .class described having, in combination, means to support av shoe form Abottom downward with its toe pointing rearwardly away from the operator, two

pairs of curved jaws shaped to embrace one end of the form and arranged for relative` movement substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the bottom-of saidform to grip between them the ontspread edge of one end of a shoel upper on said'form, said jaws being constructed to present a flange-forming inner edge surface tothe upper, and means for effecting relative movement of said'gripping` jaws and the shoe form to shape the shoe upper to one end of'said form and over the edge of the bottom of said form, with the shaped upper presenting a portion upstanding from said bottom. Y

iis

izo l 13. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for positioning a shoe bottom downward with its toe end pointing rearwardly away from the operator, means for gripping the upper on a substantially continuous line extending round the toe end of the shoe and along the opposite sides or' the toe portion, and power-operated mechanism for eiecting relative movement of said shoe positioning means and gripping means to pull the upper and to work it into lasted position under the edge of the sole or insole.

14. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for positioning a shoe bottom downward with its toe end pointing rearwardly away from the operator, grippers constructed and arranged to engage the upper' on a substantially continuous line round the toe and along the opposite sides of the toe portion, said grippers being constructed also to serve as end lasting wipers, and power-operated means for eil'ecting relative movement of said grippers and the shoe positioning means to pull the upper and to wipe it into lasted position round thetoe.

15. A machine of the class described, having in combination, means for positioning a shoe bottom downward with its toe end pointing rearwardly awa-y from the operator, grippers constructed and arranged to engage the upper on a substantially continuous line round the toe and along the opposite sides of the toe portion, said grippers being constructed also to serve as end lasting wipers, and power operatedmechanism for moving said shoe positioning means to raise the forepart of the shoe relatively to the grrppers to pull the upper and for moving said grippers inwardly under the shoe bottom to wipe the upper into lasted position.

16. In a machine of the class described, co-operating pairs of jaws curved to embrace an end of a shoe and adapted to grip and pull an upper and to work it into lasted position, said jaws being mounted for bodily advancing movement lengthwise of the shoe and for relative inward movements laterally of the shoe, a power sha-ft, connections between the power shaft and said jaws for moving them inward'laterally of the shoe, and additional connections for imparting to, said jaws their bodily advancing movement.

17. In a machine of the class described, co-operating pairs of jaws curved to embrace an end of a shoe and adapted to grip and pull an upper and to work it into lasted position, supporting` means for said jaws movable to carry them lengthwiseV of the shoe and upon which the jaws are guided for relative inward movements laterally of the shoe,'a power shaft, connections between said shaft and supporting means for moving said means and the jaws lengthwise of the shoe, and additional connections between the power shaft and said jaws for moving them inward laterally of the shoe in time relation to their advancing movement.

18. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a pair o end embracing lasting members mounted for relative closing and opening movements laterally ofthe shoe, an operating member, and links connecting the operating member to said lasting members, said links being adjustable onthe operating member for varying the starting positions of the diii'erent lasting members.

19. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning mea-ns, of a pair of end embracing lasting members mounted for relative closing and opening movements laterally of the shoe, an operating member, and links connecting the operating member to said lasting members, the operating member having guidewa-ys along which said links are-adjustable laterally, each independently of the other, to effeet a preliminary adjustment of each lasting member independently.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ELI BROTHERS. 

